Toward the Declaration of the Intelligent Republic
To mark the centennial of the establishment of the Lebanese Republic, the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development, through the Youth Rise of Lebanon Forum, organized an AI-supported workshop titled “Toward the Declaration of the Intelligent Republic: The Republic Centennial, September 1, 1926 – 2026 – 2126,” at the National State Academy in Saida.
The workshop brought together 65 young Forum members from Saida and its surroundings, in the presence of Hariri Foundation President Mrs. Bahia Hariri, former Mayor of Saida Eng. Mohammad Al-Saudi, and the Foundation’s Director, Dr. Robina Abou Zeinab.
Mrs. Hariri noted that the workshop builds on the Constitutional Centennial of May 23, 2026. She said that Lebanon, which carried the first alphabet to the world, can help shape a new alphabet in the age of artificial intelligence. She described the intelligent republic as one that does not replace people with machines, but brings knowledge closer to citizens and makes institutions more transparent.
The Hariri Foundation team presented a research overview of the concept of the republic, its origins, its development, and the founding experience of the Lebanese Republic. Forum members then traced the Republic’s first hundred years through six historical stages, from the French Mandate (1920–1943) to collapse, war, and recovery (2019–2026).
Program Sessions
The Intelligent Republic Vision
The Forum presented its vision for the second centennial (2026–2126): a smart state that anticipates, learns, and serves, keeps dignity and law above technology, and is shaped by the youth who will live its future.
A New Social Contract
The Forum’s youth engagement team reviewed the pressures facing Lebanon’s social contract. Drawing on a report by the Berghof Foundation and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, they outlined youth priorities in services, security, and political participation.
Working Groups
Forum members presented the six themes chosen by the youth: modernization, governance, science and philosophy, climate change, youth and generations, and artificial intelligence. AI-powered virtual participants contributed visions, strategic planning insights, and recommendations. Participants then joined six working groups, one for each theme, with youth and AI cutting across the others.
The workshop concluded with a vote on the draft “Declaration of the Intelligent Republic” and the setting of its priorities, with further workshops planned to finalize the declaration. Through this initiative, the Hariri Foundation reaffirms its commitment to empowering youth to shape Lebanon’s next century.